April 17th: blueberry smoothie, grain & veggie salad

Sunday morning, rush rush rush to get myself and O to the gym, and I'm grateful for this blueberry smoothie, which tided Miss O over till we could get to the gym playroom where she had her applesauce, cheese and milk. I didn't drink much of mine before I taught my class (bad bad bad) and by the time we were done with BODYFLOW and groceries, it had fairly separated as it sat in the car. I stirred it back together and drank it down. I don't recommend delayed drinking though. From the Dairy Farmers of Canada:


Blueberry Smoothie


1 cup (250 mL) milk
3/4 cup (175 mL) blueberry yogurt
1/4 cup (60 mL) pomegranate juice*
1 cup (250 mL) frozen blueberries
handful of ice cubes


Blend all ingredients until smooth. Makes about 3 cups (750 mL).


*I used pomegranate juice, but I suspect cranberry or another tart juice would work well.

Olivia licks the yogurt spoon while eyeing up breakfast.
Check it out; the shirt washed clean!!

Supper, I made an awesome whole wheat grain & veggie salad from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. It took a bit of searching to find the whole grain kernels, but Bulk Barn came through, and at $1.50 for 2 big scoops, it seems like a fantastic deal to me. This salad requires prep, which was fine for a Sunday afternoon at home. The whole wheat (also called wheat berries) need to be simmered for 2 hours. The peppers and garlic need to be roasted, at different temperatures, for 30-40 minutes each. But it all comes together to make a delicious combo. With a green salad on the side, supper was made!


Whole Wheat (Wheat Berries)
Whole Wheat is unmilled kernels with the bran and germ still intact. Light brown, rounded, oval-shaped grain with a nutty flavour and very chewy texture. (HtCEV)

To cook: bring pot of water to a boil. Rinse kernels thoroughly, then add to boiling water. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly.


Roasted Sweet Peppers
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place washed peppers on a foil-lined baking pan. Roast, turning peppers until browning on all sides, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and wrap in foil. Let sit until peppers collapse. Unwrap, let cool and then peel. They tend to fall apart and it's easy to dislodge skin and seeds under running water.


Roasted Garlic
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel papery outsides off head(s) of garlic. Slice off about top third of garlic to expose cloves. Rub with olive oil and place on oiled pan. Cover with tin foil and roast until soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit till cool enough to handle. Squeeze cloves from head.

Whole Wheat Salad with Roasted Peppers

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 roasted sweet peppers, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

2 cups cooked whole wheat

1 head roasted garlic, pulp squeezed from skins

1 cup shredded fresh basil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, or as needed

3 tbsps red wine or other vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toast the pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Toss together the pepper, whole wheat, garlic and half of the basil in a salad bowl. Whisk the oil and vinegar together, along with some salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the salad, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Garnish with pine nuts and remaining basil and serve.

Makes 4 servings.